Washington (DCA) to Phoenix (PHX): On-Time Performance
Data through July 2026
When you fly DCA to PHX matters as much as anything else about the booking: the route swung from 94% on-time in December 2024 to just 74% in November 2025. Across the full period the route averages 84% on-time against a national 78%. Morning departures also hold up better than evening ones (88% vs 77%), which matters most in the rough months.
- On-time
- 84%
- arrived <15 min late
- Avg delay
- 16 min
- completed flights
- Cancelled
- 1.3%
- Flights/day
- 3.0
- last 12 months
- Duration
- 5h 8m
- scheduled
- Distance
- 1,979 mi
Monthly on-time trend
Best time to fly from DCA to PHX
Aim for departures around 7 a.m. (90% on-time); avoid 4 p.m. departures (71%).
By day of week
| Day | On-time | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|
| Mondaybest | 87% | 14 min |
| Tuesday | 84% | 15 min |
| Wednesday | 83% | 15 min |
| Thursday | 84% | 15 min |
| Friday | 82% | 25 min |
| Saturday | 85% | 17 min |
| Sunday | 85% | 14 min |
What causes delays on this route
Share of total delay minutes by cause, as reported by carriers to the US DOT.
- Late-arriving aircraft49%
- Airline operations30%
- National airspace system15%
- Weather5%
Frequently asked questions
- How often are flights from DCA to PHX delayed?
- 16% of DCA–PHX flights arrived 15 or more minutes late (the US DOT definition of a delay) between 2024-07 and 2026-07. The average arrival delay across completed flights was 16 minutes.
- What is the best time of day to fly from DCA to PHX?
- Departures around 7 a.m. have the best record (90% on-time), while departures around 4 p.m. have the worst (71%). As on most US routes, delays accumulate through the day, so earlier flights are generally safer.
- How long is the flight from DCA to PHX?
- The scheduled DCA–PHX flight time averages 5h 8m over 1,979 miles. Actual arrival times vary — flights on this route land 15+ minutes late 16% of the time.
- How often are DCA to PHX flights cancelled?
- 1.3% of scheduled flights on this route were cancelled between 2024-07 and 2026-07, at or below the national rate of 1.6%.
- What is the worst month to fly from DCA to PHX?
- November 2025 was the roughest month in this dataset, with only 74% of arrivals on time. The best was December 2024 at 94%. If your dates are flexible, that 20-point gap is worth planning around.
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Based on 2,266 flights, 2024-07–2026-07. Source: US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Updated 2026-09-28.